


Let's Play a Game

by Vancova



Category: Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart (Cartoon)
Genre: Adorabat is Precious, Badgerclops is kinda obsessed, Erotic Dancer!Mao Mao, M/M, Mao Mao is Poor, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parent Mao Mao Mao, Possessive!Badgerclops, Smut, Snugglemagne is also a little shit, Snugglemagne owns a Club, Struggles with Money, Tanya is basically Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:21:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26037067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vancova/pseuds/Vancova
Summary: In which Mao Mao works as an erotic dancer at night and is a 24 hr single dad.
Relationships: Badgerclops/Mao Mao Mao
Comments: 15
Kudos: 84





	1. One of Many Nights

"Good night sweetie, I love you."

"I love you too Dad." Adorabat yawns and he kisses her forehead. Mao Mao turns off the light and gives his daughter a smile before closing the bedroom door. He grabs his house keys off the coffee table and locks the front door behind him. Mao Mao exits the apartment complex and enters the quiet street of the night. A few blocks away was his job.

Club Pure Heart.

It was a place of alcohol, drugs, and dancers. As you can assume, Mao Mao was a dancer for the club. He didn't have much of an option. Being homeless most of his life until he found Adorabat on the streets one day. He decides to take her in and from there grew the desire to take care of her and give her the life he couldn't have.

But to do that, he needed money.

And a place to live.

So he got a small place for cheap after landing a job as a busboy at Club Pure Heart. It was good at first, the pay was minimum wage but at least it paid rent and put food on the table. But it wasn't enough to give Adorabat the life he wanted to give her. Soon enough one of the dancers got fired for doing drugs while on the clock. His boss Snugglemagne eventually needed a new dancer. Mao Mao figured he'd make more money if he gave a few lap dances to strangers. So he applied and luckily Snugglemagne trusted Mao Mao enough to fill the role. Mao Mao quickly became popular amongst the customers and was finally able to buy Adorabat better things. New toys to play with and fresh food to eat. But working all night, everyday of the week, was stressful. Mao Mao would sleep for six hours during the day then go to work all night.

Mao Mao enters the back alley and into the club. He heads to the dressing room and clocks in before changing into his uniform.

Skimpy.

But the pink panties and crop top were dress code for all performers. Snugglemagne did say he was investing in a new design so Mao Mao was hoping it wouldn't be a bunch of strings tied together. Mao Mao heads out to the floor and over to the bar.

"Anything I can deliver, Tanya?" The tanuki was preparing several drinks.

"Yeah, take this tray over to table three." He takes the tray of colorful drinks and puts on his acting face. "Thanks mittens." Mao Mao heads over to table three and sets the drinks on the table.

"Hey boys~ can I get you anything else?" He smiles flirtatiously. The boys at the table swoon and nod. "How about some nachos to go with those drinks?" They nod again and Mao Mao smiles brightly. "Great! I'll put in your order. Pow Pow~!" He does his signature gesture and takes the tray before heading back up to the bar. "Got nachos for table three."

"Wow, you just love making my job harder, don't ya mittens?" Mao Mao sets the tray on the rack and Tanya sends in the order for the kitchen staff. "Anyways your stalker is here to see ya. He's in the same room as always."

"S-Seriously?! I just got here." Mao Mao give Tanya a skeptical look. "Did you tell him my schedule?"

"What?! No way! I wouldn't sell you out like that, mittens. Besides, he's been here for thirty whole minutes."

"What?!!"

"Yeah, he came earlier than usual, expecting you to be here. We told him he could come back later but he insisted on staying until you got here."

Mao Mao sighs, "Did you guys send anyone else his way?"

"We tried but he turned them all down. I'm telling ya, this guy is obsessed with you."

"Well there's not much I can do about it. Snugglemagne does nothing about it since he always brings in cash."

Tanya smiles, "I bet he kills people for money."

"He does not!"

"It's just a guess!" She laughs, "You should ask him what he does for work. The amount of money he spends on you is insane. And for what? A few lap dances?"

"At least we get a larger tip when he comes in." Snugglemagne will collect all the tips at the end of the night and divide it among the crew.

Tanya nods, "True, but you should get to keep all that money. You're the one hauling it in." Mao Mao shrugs.

"Yeah well, I better head over there before Snugglemagne bites my head off." They laugh and Mao Mao leaves to head into the back rooms. He enters room number five and is greeted to see a one eyed badger staring at his watch. "Sorry, I hope you didn't have to wait long? I just got here." The badger looks up and smiles.

"No no! It's fine, I don't mind waiting." The man's name was Badgerclops and he has a lot of money to blow. That's all Mao Mao knew. Everytime he asked about the badger's life he would avoid the question. Everytime he came in, he always kept the topic on Mao Mao. "How have you been?"

"Great, now that you're here." He smiles and climbs onto Badgerclops' lap. "Shall we get started?" The badger grips the armrests of his chair and nods. The music playing was set on a track that Snugglemagne made himself. It was a good mix and Mao Mao found it easier to dance to. He places his paws on the badger's chest and swirls his hips to the beat. "I heard you got here earlier than usual? Wanna tell me why?" He asks playfully.

"I wanted to see you, obviously."

"I'm here every night of the week. You don't have to show up before my shift." Mao Mao lowers himself before rising back up, sliding his hands to the badger's shoulders.

"I wanted to be your first customer of the night." Badgerclops smiles shyly with a small blush forming on his cheeks.

"Oh~ and now that you are, is there anything special for me?" Mao Mao sways his hips as he leans over the badger. Badgerclops reaches into his pocket and pulls out a lump of cash.

"I never forget to treat you."

"You spoil me."

"No, but I would like to have the chance to." He grins and Mao Mao sways to the music, ignoring the hint of going on a date with this guy.

"You never told me what kind of work you do."

"It's not important." Badgerclops shrugs as he relaxes into his chair.

"Come on~ I'm curious." Badgerclops looks over Mao Mao before sighing.

"I guess...you could say I do engineering."

"Interesting." Mao Mao lowers himself and grinds his hips as the beat picks up. Badgerclops bites his lower lip like always as Mao Mao grinds against his growing erection. The bulge in his pants was massive but Mao Mao was used to it. The song slows down and the feline rises from his seat on the badger's lap. "You know, you could've asked for someone else while you were waiting."

Badgerclops doesn't take his eye off Mao Mao. "I don't want to spend my money on them." He raises an arm and lays his head on his fist. "Just you." Now that Mao Mao was facing away from the badger he frowns.

'Maybe Tanya was right, this guy is obsessed with me.'

"So I was wondering, what do you do during the day?"

"Not much." Mao Mao grinds against Badgerclops' crotch and the badger groans. The song ends and Mao Mao moves to get up. Before he could say goodbye, Badgerclops holds out 40 dollars.

"Another one." The next song starts playing and Mao Mao sighs, taking the money.

It's been six hours and Mao Mao's legs and stomach were aching. He's been dancing for three hours straight and it doesn't look like the badger would be running out of cash soon. He was always like this. Badgerclops would come in with handfuls of money and spend it all on Mao Mao. Occupying the cat's time and stealing him away from the floor. But his boss Snugglemagne didn't care, as long as he was bringing in the money.

But Mao Mao has never danced for six hours straight.

"Listen big guy." Mao Mao hops off the badger's lap and smiles. "I've gotta take my fifteen minute break, so do you mind waiting for me?"

"Yeah, sure." Mao Mao waves goodbye and heads up to the bar.

"Hey mittens! For a second I was starting to think that he kidnapped ya." Tanya says handing him a glass of water.

"Basically." He takes a sip. "He brought in so much cash and kept asking for me to dance again and again." Mao Mao sighs. "My gut hurts."

"Your rock hard abs failing ya?"

"Unfortunately…"

"Damn."

"I don't know how much longer I can hold out for, Tanya." He looks down at his glass. "Maybe I'll ask to switch out with someone-"

"You know Snugglemagne won't allow that." Tanya cleans the inside of a glass with a dish rag. "He'll blow a fuse if you let that badger walk out of here unsatisfied. He's our best customer."

"Ugh I know. But why me?!"

"Because he's obsessed."

"You might be right on that one." Mao Mao finishes off his water and looks down sadly. The last thing he needed was a stalker. Tanya sighs but smiles.

"Hey, how's your kid doing?"

"She's good, I'm trying to save up enough money to send her to school."

"That's wonderful! I bet she'll make a lot of friends." Mao Mao smiles, talking about his daughter, always cheers him up.

"Yeah, she's going to be quite popular." He looks over his shoulder and at the back room. He needs the money. He'll dance for ten hours if he has to, his little girl is going to school. "I'm gonna head back now, gotta get as much cash I can right?"

"Make that fucker's dick fall off." They laugh and Mao Mao heads back to the private room with newly found determination and energy.

"Hey Badgey~ did ya miss me?" He greets with a toothy grin.

"Yeah, I missed every second you were gone." Badgerclops looks down at his watch and pats his thigh. Mao Mao climbs up and begins dancing as the next song plays. It was one of his favorites playing. He grinds his hips against the badger. "I know it's against the rules but, can I touch you?"

"There's no touching."

"What if I pay extra? Just for this song?"

"...How much?" Mao Mao watches as the badger holds out the rest of the cash.

"The rest of this, but the shirt comes off." Mao Mao hums in thought.

"...alright, but hands stay above the waist." The badger agrees and immediately puts his hands on Mao Mao's waist. He continues to dance as the badger holds his waist. Mao Mao slips off his shirt and tosses it to the side.

"You're so beautiful…" The one eyed badger whispers. Mao Mao couldn't help but blush, he's received compliments on his looks before but it felt different having Badgerclops say it. "I...want to go on a date with you."

"Ah-" Badgerclops engulfs Mao Mao into a hug, cradling his face into the crook of the feline's neck. ""W-What are you-"

"Go on a date with me. Like outside of work."

"I can't." Mao Mao tries to wiggle his way out but the badger holds on tighter.

"Please, I'll pay you. Just one date."

"NO! Now let go!" Mao Mao pushes his hands against the badger's chest but he doesn't let go.

"Name your price, I'll pay it." Badgerclops says desperately. "Isn't there something you want? I'll give you the money for it."

Mao Mao stops struggling and thinks. He's so close to getting enough money to send Adorabat to school. Just a few more…

"A thousand." Mao Mao looks down at the badger's shoulder. "If I go on a date with you I want a thousand dollars. In cash."

"Deal!" He finally let's go of the cat and leans back. "Sorry for holding onto you and stuff. I just, really need this."

"...what do you mean?"

"I'll tell you more on our date. Let's meet at the central plaza at noon." Mao Mao nods and gets off Badgerclops' lap. He sets the rest of the money on the table and waves goodbye. "I'll see you tomorrow." He leaves and Mao Mao falls to his knees.

"What am I doing?"

It's ten minutes before closing and the place is empty. Mao Mao wipes down the last of the tables and sighs. He hopes tonight's tips are big.

"Good job everyone!" Snugglemagne says happily. He hands everyone their portion of tonight's tips, obviously keeping most of it for himself. "And excellent job tonight Mao Mao, don't spend it all in one place." He hands Mao Mao his potion and leaves. Everyone packs up and gets changed in the locker rooms before leaving through the back door.

"Hey Mittens!" Tanya walks up to him and smiles. "Two hundred dollars! How great is that!"

"Good I guess…"

"Yeah I wish the big cat wasn't so stingy too. But this is more than yesterday so cheer up!" Tanya pats his shoulder and heads down the opposite side of the sidewalk. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Bye." He waves goodbye and heads home. He climbs the stairs of the apartment complex and unlocks the front door. "Home at last." It's six in the morning and Adorabat should be waking up in two hours. Mao Mao lays down on the couch and closes his eyes. He's got a busy day today and will need all the sleep he can get.


	2. Date

Mao Mao wakes up to Adorabat calling his name. He sits up and yawns, Adorabat standing right in front of him. She looks nervously down at the floor.

"I um...I wanted to get breakfast without waking you, but the milk carton was too heavy and-" At this point she had tears in her eyes. Mao Mao sits up and smiles.

"It's okay, Adorabat. Accidents happen." He picks her up and they hug.

"But I wasted all the milk."

"We'll just buy more then." He stands up and heads to the kitchen. There's cereal and milk all over the floor. "How about an omelette for breakfast?" She smiles and nods. He tells her to go wait in the living room and starts cleaning up the mess. Mao Mao wipes up the cereal and most of the milk with paper towels before mopping the floor. After he's finished he takes out a frying pan and places it on the stove. He opens the fridge and takes out the carton of eggs. There's only two left. That's enough for one omelette. Mao Mao takes a deep breath before grabbing the shredded cheese and bacon. He doesn't need breakfast. Feeding his daughter is what matters most. And the last thing he wanted was for Adorabat to know about the struggles of their household.

He beats the eggs in a bowl before pouring it into the hot pan. Mao Mao let's it cook for a bit before dumping cheese on it and folding it in half. He slides the omelette on a plate and places two strips of bacon in the pan. After the bacon is cooked to crispy perfection he places them on the plate as well. Mao Mao turns off the stove and places the pan in the sink. He takes a cup down from the cabinet and pours orange into it.

"Okay, breakfast is ready!" He sets the plate and juice on the table and Adorabat flies into the kitchen.

"Yay! Thanks Dad!" She beams as she takes a bite of her cheesy omelette. "What are you gonna eat?"

"O-Oh I'm just gonna drink some juice." He smiles and takes down another glass, pouring himself a cup.

"How come I can't drink just juice for breakfast?"

"Because you are a growing young lady and need the nutrients." He boops her nose and grins as she laughs. "Now eat up and then brush your teeth, we've gotta head to the store!"

"Okay!" She shoves the food into her mouth and chews quickly.

"Slow down kiddo! You'll choke!"

Mao Mao pushed the cart around the grocery store with Adorabat in the basket. He wanders down the aisles and picks up several items. Mao Mao stops in the little girl's section and looks at the clothes.

"What do you think about this?" He holds up a pink dress that was Adorabat's size.

"I already have clothes."

"You can always have more." He puts in the basket and looks at some of the shirts and shorts. "See anything you like?"

"The cupcake!" She points to a shirt with a cupcake on it. Mao Mao looks through the rack and pulls out one that's her size. He puts it in the basket and pushes the cart. "Can I get more crayons?"

Mao Mao hums in thought, he can't really say no to his little girl, and surely he could afford a new box. "Sure, let's go pick up new crayons."

"Yes! Thanks Dad!" After picking up the crayons they head to the check out and Mao Mao watches as the woman scans their items. He holds out his coupons and she registers them.

"160.33." She says and Mao Mao looks down at the tips he got from last night. He sighs and takes out the correct amount of change and hands it to her. She puts it in the cash register before printing his receipt. "Have a nice day."

"You too." He pushes the cart to the exit, taking the bags of groceries into his hands. It was times like this that Mao Mao wished he had a car. Sure everything was nearby but it was still a struggle to carry all of these groceries down the street. Adorabat flies in front of him where he can see her as they head home. Once arriving at their apartment complex Mao Mao puts the groceries away and let's Adorabat draw with her new crayons. After that he makes her lunch and puts it in the fridge for her to eat later.

He had a date to get ready for.

"Adorabat, I'm gonna be out for a few hours. I placed your lunch in the fridge, don't forget to eat it." He heads into Adorabat's room, it was the only bedroom in the house. Mao Mao opens the closet door and looks at his side of the closet. He didn't have much, most of which were jeans and t-shirts. He takes out a red shirt and blue jeans before heading into the bathroom to change. After getting dressed he looks at himself in the mirror.

Handsome as always.

"Dad, where are you going?" He opens the bathroom door and looks down at his little girl.

"I'm going to meet a coworker." He gets down on one knee and smiles. "I'm trusting you to be a big girl and take care of the house while I'm gone, okay?" She nods. "I don't want to leave you alone so I'm going to call Tanya and she should be over here in a few minutes."

"Tanya is gonna stay with me?"

"Yep! You can show her all the cool drawings you made too." Adorabat flaps her wings in excitement and flies back to the living room. "Now I just need to hope Tanya is available." Mao Mao slips on his jacket and heads out the front door. He walks down a block to a nearby payphone. Mao Mao takes out a few quarters and inserts them into the machine before dialing Tanya's number.

"Hello?"

"Tanya! It's me, Mao Mao."

"Oh hey mittens, what's up? You finally bought a cellphone?"

"No, I'm using a payphone."

"I see, so what's the emergency?"

"I need you to come over and watch Adorabat for me. I have a few errands to run." He looks outside the glass and spots a man who was waiting to use the payphone. "If you can't that's okay."

"No, I'll do it. I'll be over in a few."

"Thanks Tanya! You're the best." They say goodbye and Mao Mao hangs up the phone. He heads back home and waits for Tanya to arrive. It's about thirty minutes after when Tanya arrives at their front door. "Thanks again for coming on short notice."

"Eh it's okay. Now where is the little munchkin?" She steps inside and spots Adorabat on the floor, coloring one of her drawings. "Hey there kiddo!"

"Auntie Tanya!"

"What'cha drawing?"

"Dragons!" Tanya takes a seat next to Adorabat and holds up one of the drawings. "I even drew a mountain in the back."

"Very cool!"

Mao Mao smiles at the two before heading out the door. He walks down the stairs and exits the apartment complex. Mao Mao walks along the sidewalk, avoiding the crowds of people as he heads to the central plaza. Upon arriving he looks around until he spots a familiar figure sitting on a bench.

"How come everytime we meet, you're staring at your watch?" Mao Mao asks as he stands in front of Badgerclops. He looks up from his watch and blushes.

"Sorry, I just like to keep track of the time." He stands from his seat. "You look nice."

"Uhm thanks, you look nice as well." Mao Mao shifts his weight onto his other foot and places his hands in his pockets. "So, why did you want to go on a date?"

"Because I like you."

"No I mean…" Mao Mao shakes his head. "Nevermind, let's just go."

"Okay, there's this restaurant I thought we could try." Badgerclops leads the way and the two head into a fancy restaurant.

"Uh, are we eating here?" Mao Mao looks around at the decor and all the well dressed people that walked by. He felt out of place.

"Duh, we aren't just here for sight-seeing." Badgerclops walks up to the check in and smiles. "Table for two, under Badgerclops."

"Oh, right this way." The hostess says and she leads them to a nice table by the window. She gives them their menus and takes out a notepad. "Can I start you guys off with something to drink?"

"Yeah, I'll have a martini and he'll have-"

"Water." Mao Mao interrupts. "I'll have water please." She writes it down and leaves to go get their beverages.

"You don't drink?"

"Yeah."

"Interesting." Badgerclops looks down at his menu and smiles. "Let's find something to order. I hear they have great combo meals."

"Have you been here before?" Mao Mao picks up his menu and looks down the list of items.

"No, but I've been wanting to come here. They opened up six months ago."

"Really?" Mao Mao looks at the price of everything, he couldn't help but grimace at how expensive everything was. "With these prices how can they stay open?" Mao Mao lived on the poor side of town and wasn't familiar with the rest of Pure Heart City.

"You don't know? Pure Heart City is a tourist destination, that's why places like this can start a successful business. Opening up here was a great decision." Badgerclops leans forward and tilts his head to the side. "How long have you lived here?"

"Uh, all my life. I just never knew it was a tourist spot." Mao Mao spent his life in a shitty orphanage in the slums of Pure Heart City. He's never got to explore or see the rest of the town he called home. "What about you?"

"I moved here two years ago. After uhm, after my parents died." He looks down at his watch, his eye following the handle. "...This watch was my father's ya know. That's why I keep looking at it."

"Oh...what happened?"

"Car accident." He shrugs. "I haven't been doing too well after they died. Life just kinda went downhill ya know? I needed to get away from everything so I moved here, hoping for a fresh start." Mao Mao looks down at his menu sadly.

"...I'm sorry for your loss." Badgerclops looks over at Mao Mao, noticing his sad expression.

"Oh! Don't worry about it." He laughs nervously. "I didn't mean to make this date gloomy."

"But...your parents...you're hurting and I don't think you've had time to grieve-"

"I'm fine." Badgerclops scratches the back of his head. "To be honest I've been doing better after seeing you for the first time. That night, you asked me how I was doing. I said not too good, and you said you'd make me feel better."

"Yeah I remember." Mao Mao blushes, feeling a bit embarrassed about his work behavior. "I'm sor-"

"You did make me feel better." Badgerclops admits. "N-Not just your dancing, you talked with me and it felt like you supported me, even if you didn't know what was going on in my life. The other dancers wouldn't have talked with me. That's why you're different."

"Different how?" Mao Mao looks at Badgerclops with confusion. He thought he was doing the same as his other coworkers. Did they not converse with clients?

"You like to talk and listen. That made the experience different for me. You're also…" Badgerclops blushes and looks out the window. "Prettier, than the other dancers." Mao Mao's face burns a bright red and he hides behind his menu.

"Uhm, t-thanks." Why was his heart racing?! Thankfully, the hostess arrives with their drinks and Mao Mao takes the moment to recollect himself.

"Are you guys ready to order?" She asks.

"I'll have the chicken parmesan." Badgerclops holds out his menu and the hostess takes it before looking at Mao Mao.

"Oh! Uh- I'll have the…" His green eyes scan over the prices before landing on the cheapest option. "The caesar salad." He hands his menu to the hostess and she leaves.

"Why the salad?" Badgerclops grins.

"...I'm trying to eat more greens." He shrugs. They sit in silence for a bit before Mao Mao decides to ask the question that's been bugging him for awhile. "Hey uhm, I'm just curious about yesterday."

"Hm?"

"Why did you have me dance for so long? Usually you only stay for about an hour."

"Oh, that…" Badgerclops' cheeks burn red and he covers his mouth with his hand. "I um, was trying to work up the courage to ask you out…" Mao Mao stares at him with wide eyes before laughing. Badgerclops looks at him, startled by the sudden noise of laughter. He's never heard the feline laugh before.

"Am I really that intimidating?"

"...Yeah." He looks down at his hands, fiddling with his fingers. "You're very cute but I get the feeling that you can be quite frightening if you want to."

"For the record I'm not cute, I don't know why people keep saying that." His mind wanders to how his boss would tell him he was adorable and didn't need be so brooding around the customers. "Do you think I'm scary?"

"No! Not at all! It's just how you present yourself to people."

"And how is that?"

"That's what I wanna know. I can tell that you put on an act at the club." Badgerclops takes a sip of his martini.

"Is it that obvious?"

"No, but I have a knack for telling the difference between pretending and what's real. I can thank my stepbrother for that." Badgerclops chuckles. "He always did these stupid magic tricks."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, I have a chicken parmesan and a caesar salad." The hostess says as she places the plates on the table. "Let me know if you need anything else. Enjoy!" She leaves and the two chat throughout their meal. Mao Mao couldn't help but eagerly chew his salad. It was good, especially since he didn't eat anything this morning.

"The chicken parmesan is delicious." Badgerclops says. He cuts a piece of the chicken off and holds it out with his fork. "Try it." Mao Mao is hesitant but he leans forward and opens his mouth. Badgerclops feeds him the piece of chicken and the feline hums in delight. It had a lot more flavor than his salad. "Pretty good right?"

"It's amazing! I wonder if they'll give me the recipe?" Mao Mao looks down at his salad, wishing he could prepare meals as tasty as this for Adorabat. She might even eat her vegetables if they tasted half as good as this.

"I don't think they'll give you their recipe but I know a good one that's online, if you want to try it?"

"Oh that's alright." Mao Mao smiles. 'I don't even have a computer.' He thought. "Maybe we can make our own recipe someday?" Mao Mao shuts his mouth immediately. 'Wait, what did I just say?'

Badgerclops beams at the idea. "Yeah! Let's do it." He seems happy about the idea of spending more time with Mao Mao outside of the feline's work.

"Here's the check." The hostess returns and places the small notebook on the table.

"Thank you." Badgerclops opens up the notebook and places his credit card inside. He hands it back to the hostess and she leaves to get their receipt. "Anyways, I thought the food was great. Did you enjoy your salad?"

"Uh yeah it was good. I just thought we would be splitting the check?"

"Don't worry about it, I asked you out so it only makes sense that I'd pay for it."

"But-"

"Don't worry. I wouldn't have picked this place if I wasn't prepared to pay for it." Mao Mao sighs and leans back in his seat. "You seem upset."

"It's just...I'm not used to people paying for me."

"But yet you gladly accept money being thrown at you?"

Mao Mao furrowed his brows, "That's different, I get paid to do that."

"But don't you get to keep all of that money?"

"Sadly no, I turn in what I earn like everyone else. Then our boss divides it up amongst the staff."

"Oh…" The hostess returns and Badgerclops places his card back into his wallet. The two get up from the table and leave the fancy restaurant. "How did you get here?"

"I walked."

"Want a ride back home?"

"No, I'll be fine." Mao Mao turns to leave but Badgerclops grabs his hand.

"You forgot this." He places a roll of cash in the cat's paw and smiles. "I'm a man of my word. I'll see you later." Badgerclops crosses the street and into the parking lot, looking for his car. Mao Mao stares at the rolls of bills in his hand before clutching it.

"...I'm sorry." He whispers. He holds the money close to his chest and sobs. "I'm sorry." Mao Mao sniffs and wipes the tears from his face. He felt like an awful person. Badgerclops seemed like a kind man who's been through heart aching struggles. Mao Mao sighs and heads back down the sidewalk to walk home. The feline tries to think about his daughter. He'll be able to send her to school now. She'll get a good education and make good friends. He can help her achieve her dreams by sending her to school.


	3. Work

"Mr. Mao, you're so lucky. Today was the last day to enroll." The principal said as he hands Mao Mao the last contract to sign. "Just sign here and then we'll process your payment."

"Can I pay in cash?" He didn't have a credit card.

"Of course! That'll be 12,775." Mao Mao takes out the block of cash and places it on the desk. It took him two years to save up this much. But Mao Mao is glad to be able to send Adorabat to this extremely nice private school. Only the best for his little girl. "Excellent! Now just sign here if you'll be attending next year as well."

"Doesn't this cover for the elementary years?"

"Oh no, this is just tuition for the first year. By signing here you acknowledge that you'll be sending your child here for a full year. Now if you plan to transfer your child you'll need to pay a fee for withdrawal." The principal's smile widens. "Textbooks and supplies are provided by the school, it's part of the tuition. We're a prestigious community and we only want what's best for the children. We don't want to give away a position to someone who doesn't plan to stay throughout the school years. Your child will be attending next year, right?"

"Y-Yes! Of course…" Mao Mao quickly signs the paper contract and hands it back to the principal. He'll just have to work harder. Work longer hours and save up more before next year.

"Wonderful! We'll put your daughter in room 203 with Mr. Hallen as her teacher." The principal shakes Mao Mao's hand and leads him out the door. "We look forward to seeing her on Moonday." He closes his office door and Mao Mao walks down the hallway. He has work later tonight, he'll have to discuss his schedule with Snugglemagne.

Mao Mao wasn't looking forward to having a conversation with Snugglemagne. The lion often pushed his opinions to the side in favor of his own. Not to mention the debt he was in to Snugglemagne. His boss lent him the money to buy the apartment he's currently staying at. Mao Mao just didn't know if he had the courage to ask for another favor. Snugglemagne still has yet to cash in his 'I owe you'.

"I don't have time to worry about this." Mao Mao says to himself. He exits the private school and takes a bus back home. Once he arrives he enters the apartment complex and places his backpack on the floor. Adorabat was currently at the park with Tanya so the feline lays down on the couch and sighs. Closing his eyes, Mao Mao falls asleep.

When he wakes up it's eight in the evening and he spots a note on the coffee table. It was from Tanya.

Hey Mittens, didn't want to wake ya so I dropped Adorabat off after getting some ice cream. She should be in her room. See ya at work tonight.

He gets up and from the couch and peers into Adorabat's room, she's on the floor playing with her toys. He should tell her the good news.

"Hey Adorabat, guess what?" He says, stepping into her bedroom.

"What?"

"You'll be going to school on Moonday! How exciting is that!" He says cheerfully.

"School? Will you be there?"

"No sweetie, but you'll meet a lot of other kids your age." Mao Mao pats her head and smiles. "You'll make a lot of new friends too."

"Mmm I guess so…"

"Don't worry Adorabat, school is a lot of fun! I promise."

"Mmm okay!" She flaps her wings in excitement and stands up. "What's for dinner? I'm hungry!"

"Food for the munchkin, coming right up!" He leaves to enter the kitchen, preparing dinner. After making their meal and sharing dinner together, Mao Mao and Adorabat brush their teeth. "Time for bed, Adorabat."

"Aw but I'm not tired." She pouts.

"You will be in a few minutes." He laughs as she yawns. Mao Mao tucks Adorabat into bed and wishes her a good night. He then turns off the light and closes her bedroom door. "Now to get ready for work." He takes a quick shower before getting dressed in a pair of jeans and a sweater. He grabs his keys and locks the door behind him. Mao Mao leaves the apartment complex and walks down the same street to his job. He enters the building and heads to the locker room where he changes into his work uniform. Mao Mao walks out to the floor and stops by the bar to talk with Tanya.

"What's up, mittens."

"Hey Tanya. I just wanted to thank you again for watching Adorabat today."

"It's no problem." She grins.

"So um…" Mao Mao blushes. "Is he here?"

"As always." She gives her friend a skeptical look. "Is there somethin' going on between you two?"

"What?! No! Why would you think that?"

"It's just, after the last time he was here, you seemed a little off."

"Off how?"

"I don't know." She shrugs. "It's just somethin' I could sense, ya know?"

"...sure." Mao Mao takes a deep breath before leaving the bar. He puts on his best smile and waves to a few customers. Once the feline reaches the door to the private room he pauses before opening it. Would things be different now? He wasn't too sure. "Hey Badgerclops, how have you been?"

The badger looks up from his watch, his face seems to be glowing more than usual. "I'm doing great, how have you been?" Mao Mao closes the door behind him and slowly approaches Badgerclops.

"Good, just trying to pass the time."

"I see…" Badgerclops scratches the back of his head nervously. But the feline takes note of his flustered face.

Mao Mao climbs up onto the badger's lap and smiles seductively. "Tell me, do you like coming here?"

"I um…" Badgerclops laughs a bit. "I like seeing you." Mao Mao leans against Badgerclops, resting his head on his chest as he plays with one of the buttons of his blouse.

"I can hear your heart pounding."

"...I'm nervous."

"Why?"

"This is different from before." He admits.

"...I know." Mao Mao sits up and looks at his client. Things felt different. Was it because of their date? Probably so. "Why did you come back here?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm asking why'd you come back? You must've already suspected things wouldn't be the same."

"I had to see you again...and to ask if you'd go on another date with me." He smiles shyly.

"Another...date?" Mao Mao's heart skipped a beat. Another date sounded like so much fun. He truly enjoyed the last one but he doesn't want to date the badger for his money. It felt so wrong and even though he needs it, surely he can work hard enough to make Adorabat's tuition funds by himself. "Sure."

"Really?!"

"Yeah, but um...you don't have to pay me this time."

"...What made you change your mind?"

"I just...it doesn't feel right to take your money unless I've worked for it." Mao Mao shakes away his sad expression and smiles. "Speaking of work, I believe I'm still on the clock."

"Oh, you don't have to dance if you don't want to. I figured I'd just buy your time and we could talk."

"...Sure." Mao Mao leans against the armrest of the chair and smiles. "So how come you never hangout on the floor? It's fun out there."

"I-I don't know." He shrugs. "Never really thought about it."

"You should get out there and mingle. Make new friends and just enjoy the night." Mao Mao had a feeling that the badger was lonely and probably didn't have many friends. So he decided it was his turn to show Badgerclops a good time. "Come on, it'll be fun. The staff is really nice too, we're very friendly."

"I mean it does sound like fun but…"

"Don't worry, you can hangout at the bar with Tanya. She's a good friend of mine and she loves to gossip." Mao Mao gets off his lap and heads for the door. "Plus I'll be out there. Serving other customers but I'll swing by the bar frequently."

"Really?"

"Promise! Besides the bar is where I pick up orders."

"Oh." Badgerclops thinks for a moment, looking down at his watch. He really wanted to spend more time with Mao Mao. "...Okay."

"Awesome! Let's go!" The two head out to the floor of the building. It was a little packed tonight. Mao Mao takes Badgerclops' hand and leads him over to the bar. "Tanya, meet Badgerclops!" The tanuki looks the badger over before smiling.

"Nice ta meet ya!"

"Nice to meet you too." Badgerclops offers a shy smile.

"Mao Mao can ya run this out to table seven?" Tanya sets a tray of booze and food on the counter. "I'd wait for Caleb but he's being a bitch tonight."

"Sure thing! I'll be right back." He takes the tray of food and drinks before heading over to table seven. Badgerclops watches him leave. Tanya looks over at the badger and notices how his attention stayed on the feline.

She smirks, "So!" She shouts, catching his attention. "Badgerclops, buddy, you've gotta tell me about this."

"About what?"

"About you and mittens over there. It's obvious you've got a thing for him." She grins.

"I-Is it?" He blushes as he takes a seat on one of the stools.

"Definitely. But I wanna hear about it. Spill the beans my friend!"

"Well…" Tanya was a friend of Mao Mao's so he figured he could trust her. Plus she did seem very friendly. "Okay I do like him." Tanya gasps almost dramatically. "Like...a lot."

"I knew it! So for how long?"

"A few months now, I guess ever since the first time I met him." Badgerclops looks over at the crowd, easily spotting the black feline. Mao Mao was chatting with the guys at the table, doing his signature gesture as they all swoon. Badgerclops couldn't help but feel...jealous. "I kinda didn't want to come out here."

"Hm, I see." She saw the hint of envy in his eye. "You don't like seeing your crush being so flirty with everyone else." Badgerclops blushes but nods. "It's kind of his job and you know there's nothing you can do about it."

"I just...it just makes me angry. Seeing all these people stare at him with their eyes goggling and tongues hanging out."

"You do the same." Tanya states. "You look at him the same way they do-"

"I do not! I look at him with admiration, I love him!" He shuts his mouth immediately, his face burning red.

"Love huh?" She smiles as the badger places his head on the counter. "That's a lot more different than like."

Mao Mao looks over to the bar and spots the two chatting. He didn't know what the conversation was about but he figured it was something good. The cat was glad they were getting along. He was about to head over to the bar stand when a certain group entered the building, taking a seat at a booth. Mao Mao sighs in frustration. It was Orangusnake and his gang. He heads over to their table, not even bothering to greet them with a smile 

"What do you want Orangusnake?"

"Nachos for the whole table for starters, and beer as well." He grins.

"Anything else?"

"Maybe something sweet too." He smacks Mao Mao's ass and the table laughs. Mao Mao's face grows red with fury but he holds it in.

"...Please remember the rule, no touching the staff members." Mao Mao turns to leave. "I'll be back with your order." Once he reaches the bar, Mao Mao hops up on the stool next to Badgerclops. "Large nachos and four beers."

"Sure thing." Tanya says. "Why the long face mittens?"

"It's Orangusnake and his gang."

"Really? They always harass the staff."

Badgerclops' ears perk up at the word harass. He turns to face the feline and looks at him worriedly. "Are you okay? Did they do anything to you?" He asks.

"I'm fine, although I wish he didn't touch my ass." Mao Mao stands on his stool, completely oblivious to Badgerclops' stiff posture and eye twitching. "He's always tugging on my panties and pinching me. It's always, show us the goods Mao Mao, get us more beer Mao Mao, I want a dance Mao Mao. But the bastard never has the money for a dance. He always thinks that one day, if he's pressed my buttons enough, I'll just cave in and give it to him for free! That's not how this place works."

"You said it, mittens."

"Tanya, can you send someone else to cover their table? I don't think I can tolerate them tonight."

"Sure thing, but you know Orangusnake isn't gonna like it."

"Good." Mao Mao sits back down and turns to face the badger. "So what have you've guys been talking about?"

"Not much." Badgerclops chokes out, trying to regain his posture. Deep down he was angry that such a pathetic group harrasses Mao Mao. And a part of him was jealous too, he never got to touch Mao Mao's beautiful round ass. "So like, does this Orangusnake guy mess with everyone?"

"No, just Mao Mao." Tanya says as she places four glasses of beer on a tray. "His little gang harasses everyone else but they never try anything to mittens here. Almost as if Orangusnake called dibs."

"Tanya, you come up with crazy theories." Mao Mao says. "They're just idiots that like to bully people." The feline turns back to the badger. "So Badgerclops, any plans for our date?"

"I'm sorry, date?!" Tanya shouts as one of the kitchen staff hands her a plate of nachos.

Mao Mao looks away, a little flustered. "Uhm, yeah, we're dating."

"Since when?!"

"Since yesterday. Anyways," He looks back at Badgerclops. "Let's go see a movie, if that's alright with you?"

"Uh- Yeah! A movie sounds great." They share a smile and Mao Mao gets up from his seat.

"Well I better get this to Orangusnake's table. I don't see Caleb anywhere." He takes the tray and leaves. Tanya looks over at Badgerclops with a huge grin on her face.

Mao Mao returns with an empty tray and a sigh. He couldn't help but feel exhausted after having to put up with Orangusnake. He really didn't like that guy.

"You came back quickly." Tanya says.

"I really can't stand them."

"Oh shit-" Tanya picks up an empty glass and starts cleaning it. "Boss is coming." Mao Mao and Badgerclops looks behind themselves and spots a pink maned lion heading towards the bar.

"Mao Mao, darling!" Snugglemagne says. "I need you to work the stage for a minute, reel in some extra cash."

"Again?"

"Yes again, you want your tips right? So get up there and put on a show." He giggles to himself and heads back to his office.

"Well I guess we can chat more on our date." He says as he gets off his seat. He disappeared behind a door in the back of the club and reappeared on the stage. There were two other girls up there and three poles. Mao Mao takes the empty pole and looks out to the crowd. A new song starts to play and Mao Mao walks around the pole, drawing in a crowd. He uses the muscles in his arms and abdomen to lift himself up higher on the pole, twirling around before slowly sliding back to the floor. The crowd cheers and starts throwing cash. Mao Mao couldn't quite see the faces of the audience due to the bright lights shining on him. But that made dancing easier.

Mao Mao finished working the rest of the night and arrived home tomorrow morning. He had no idea if Badgerclops saw his performance or not. A part of him was hoping he stayed for at least the first song. He released a sigh of exhaustion before flopping down on the couch. He closes his eyes for 2 minutes before Adorabat comes bouncing into the living room.

"Dad! DAD! GUESS WHAT?!!!" Before Mao Mao could even ask, Adorabat holds up her wing, revealing a small little tooth. "I lost a tooth!"

"That's great sweety!" He takes the tooth and looks at it. "Now you'll get a visit from the tooth fairy."

"I can't wait! I'm gonna catch her this time!" She grins. Mao Mao can't help but laugh at her adorableness.

"I don't know, she's very sneaky."

"Well I'm even more sneaky!" Adorabat flaps her wings and flies back to her bedroom, shouting, "I'm gonna put this under my pillow!" Mao Mao shakes his head as he gets up from the couch to make Adorabat's breakfast. After they finish eating, Adorabat goes to her room to work out her plans for catching the allusive tooth fairy. Mao Mao returns to the couch and closes his eyes, he has a date later this evening and he didn't want to sleep through the whole movie.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm gonna leave comments on but for the love of God, don't burn me at the stake. THANKS FOR READING!


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